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View Full Version : 10AWG bare wire to CBM-170's & 340's?



ScottO
07-18-2006, 01:17 PM
Is anyone out there running 10AWG *bare wire* to their Ascend speakers? Just want to confirm they can handle it before I place an order with Blue Jeans Cable.

Please, no posts about using banana plugs or spades. I know that's an option, but I want to run bare wire. ;)

Thanks & best,
-- Scott

curtis
07-18-2006, 02:40 PM
10 gauge is freaking THICK.

I don't think it will fit in the binding post hole. It also might be too thick to wrap around the post. I think you should call Ascend and ask.

ScottO
07-18-2006, 03:49 PM
...I think you should call Ascend and ask.

I did call Ascend and ask what's the maximum gauge, and the rep said that's the first time he'd been asked that question.

The Ascend rep was able to confirm that the binding post holes are 5mm, and the 14 ga. cable Ascend sells fits the posts when it is twisted in pairs for an effective gauge of 11.2.

But that still doesn't answer my question about 10-gauge.... :p

-- Scott

tilt
07-18-2006, 04:04 PM
This doesn't answer your question either, but 12 guage fits.

Eddie Horton
07-18-2006, 04:19 PM
Unless your speakers are 50ft. or more from your amp or receiver, 10 guage is way overkill. That doesn't answer your question, either. Why exactly do you want to use 10 guage? Nothing wrong with it, but 12 or even 14 would do nicely. I saw a web page once that gave the proper guage based on the length of the runs, but can't remember where it was.

drewface
07-18-2006, 09:10 PM
I did call Ascend and ask what's the maximum gauge, and the rep said that's the first time he'd been asked that question.

The Ascend rep was able to confirm that the binding post holes are 5mm, and the 14 ga. cable Ascend sells fits the posts when it is twisted in pairs for an effective gauge of 11.2.

But that still doesn't answer my question about 10-gauge.... :p

-- Scott
i'm running the 11.2 cable from ascend (with the wires twisted together), and they fit pretty easily in the binding posts bare. i'm not sure how much thicker 10 gauge would be, but i don't think you'd have a problem. don't quote me on that, though...

curtis
07-18-2006, 09:24 PM
Can you double up the 11.2 fit it in there? If so, 10 gauge will definitely fit.

drewface
07-19-2006, 07:02 AM
Can you double up the 11.2 fit it in there? If so, 10 gauge will definitely fit.i don't think double 11.2 would fit... that's REALLY thick.
i can check it out when i get home from work though.

MikeAndAnnie
07-19-2006, 07:10 AM
Unless your speakers are 50ft. or more from your amp or receiver, 10 guage is way overkill. That doesn't answer your question, either. Why exactly do you want to use 10 guage? Nothing wrong with it, but 12 or even 14 would do nicely. I saw a web page once that gave the proper guage based on the length of the runs, but can't remember where it was.

Here are a couple of links to that info:

prosoundweb.com/install/sw/gauge.php
roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

Mag_Neato
07-19-2006, 07:13 AM
According to my wire gauge chart, 10Ga. is .11768" Dia., or approx. 1/8". I'd think that would fit but I've never used the holes in the binding posts.

Bananas all the way, baby!!

drewface
07-19-2006, 02:29 PM
from looking at my current setup, i don't think that you would be able to get 2 11.2 gauge strands through the binding post, but it does look like you could potentially get 3 out of the 4 strands in ascend's cable to get through at once. i didn't test it out, but it looks like there would be enough room. all four MIGHT fit, but it would be a really tight squeeze if it did.

since we're on the topic of speaker gauges, is there any adverse effects from going overkill with the wire gauge. i know my 11.2 is overkill for the distance i'm running, so i'm curious about this...

also, once i get some 340 SE Mains for up front (waiting on a center channel currently :D ), would it be ok to bi-wire them using the four strands in one speaker cable (one strand for each connection), or would a different wiring setup be better? i don't really need to know the answer to this any time soon, but i've been wondering about that for a while, as well.

curtis
07-19-2006, 02:41 PM
I HAD my 340's biwired, but I recently listenned to a few different speakers in my home that were not bi-wireable, and took my speakers to places that were not set up for bi-wiring. So I have put the jumpers back on and went back to normal wiring. No differences that I can detect.

But yeah, it is OK to bi-wire them like you described.

Lee Bailey
07-21-2006, 08:34 AM
According to my wire gauge chart, 10Ga. is .11768" Dia., or approx. 1/8". I'd think that would fit but I've never used the holes in the binding posts.

Bananas all the way, baby!!

Is that stranded or solid core for the measurement? Stranded would be thicker.

Mag_Neato
07-21-2006, 10:06 AM
Is that stranded or solid core for the measurement? Stranded would be thicker.

Here's what I found...

Gage No. 10 Size in Inch
American Wire (Brown & Sharpe) Gage 0.1019
US Steel Wire Gage 0.135
British Standard (Imperial) Wire Gage 0.128
Music (Piano) Wire Gage 0.024
Birmingham (Stub's Iron) Wire Gage 0.134
Stub's Steel Wire Gage 0.191

So it should fit, eh?

drewface
08-04-2006, 03:41 PM
I HAD my 340's biwired, but I recently listenned to a few different speakers in my home that were not bi-wireable, and took my speakers to places that were not set up for bi-wiring. So I have put the jumpers back on and went back to normal wiring. No differences that I can detect.

But yeah, it is OK to bi-wire them like you described.
so, i just got my CMT-340SEc this afternoon (and man, is it a sexy looking speaker), and when reading through the little setup thing that comes with ascend speakers, i noticed that the bi-wire diagram has two cables coming out of one terminal on the receiver. this confuses me a little bit because i was always under the assumption that in order to bi-wire, you needed two different outputs on the receiver, such as A and B main speaker outs. with this, you could run one cable from the A speaker outs to one of the pairs of inputs on the speaker, and the other cable from the B speaker outs to the other pair.

i know you said you don't notice any difference between bi-wiring and single-wiring with the bridges, but if using only one speaker out on the receiver is the correct way to do bi-wiring, i think i would prefer to set my new speaker up that way (using the two pairs of wires in Ascend's speaker cable to do bi-wiring like i described above). sorry if this comes off as redundant... i thought i had this whole bi-wiring thing figured out. any suggestions on how i should hook this baby up? (also, if i single wire the speaker, does it go into the woofer or tweeter inputs? i don't think it should matter since the bridges would be in, but i don't want to mess anything up)

Thanks

BGHD
08-05-2006, 04:24 AM
so, i just got my CMT-340SEc this afternoon (and man, is it a sexy looking speaker), and when reading through the little setup thing that comes with ascend speakers, i noticed that the bi-wire diagram has two cables coming out of one terminal on the receiver. this confuses me a little bit because i was always under the assumption that in order to bi-wire, you needed two different outputs on the receiver, such as A and B main speaker outs. with this, you could run one cable from the A speaker outs to one of the pairs of inputs on the speaker, and the other cable from the B speaker outs to the other pair.

I think you're describing bi-amping instead of bi-wiring.

drewface
08-05-2006, 05:51 AM
so i SHOULD use one speaker out... alright, i'll give it a try. thanks!